Schools
Hijab-Wearing Professor Placed on Administrative Leave by Wheaton College
Dr. Larycia Hawkin, a political science professor and Christian, wanted to show her solidarity with Muslims by donning the hijab.
Dr. Larycia Hawkins, who is a Christian, said she decided to wear the hijab over advent to show her ”solidarity for her Muslim neighbor.”
“I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God,” Hawkins wrote in a Dec. 10 Facebook post. “As part of my Advent Worship, I will wear the hijab to work at Wheaton College, to play in Chi-town, in the airport and on the airplane to my home state that initiated one of the first anti-Sharia laws (read: unconstitutional and Islamophobic), and at church.”
In a statement Tuesday, Wheaton College said the professor, who lives in Oak Park, has been placed on administrative leave pending a full review.
“Wheaton College faculty and staff make a commitment to accept and model our institution’s faith foundations with integrity, compassion and theological clarity. As they participate in various causes, it is essential that faculty and staff engage in and speak about public issues in ways that faithfully represent the College’s evangelical Statement of Faith,” according to the statement.
Hawkins, who has invited other women to also wear a hijab, has received plenty of support, especially from students who have posted to her social media accounts and shared photos of themselves also wearing hijabs.
But not everyone has been on board with Hawkins’ statement. Hawkins in a Dec. 13 post on Twitter said she received push back from almost exclusively Christians.
“The pushback has primarily centered on the claim that Christians and Muslims worship the same God,” she wrote. My wearing of the hijab as an act of advent devotion has certainly caused some to question the sincerity of my devotion. To those who question the authenticity of my faith, I love you.”
In the days leading up to Hawkins being placed on administrative leave, Wheaton College officials they had ”received questions and media coverage related to statements some faculty members have made on social media regarding the relationship between Christianity and Islam.”
“While Islam and Christianity are both monotheistic, we believe there are fundamental differences between the two faiths, including what they teach about God’s revelation to humanity, the nature of God, the path to salvation, and the life of prayer,” according to the statement.
“Some recent faculty statements have generated confusion about complex theological matters, and could be interpreted as failing to reflect the distinctively Christian theological identity of Wheaton College,” college officials wrote in the statement. “We will be in dialogue with our faculty, staff and students in the days ahead to ensure that we articulate our love for our Muslim neighbors in ways that are consistent with our distinctive theological convictions.”
READ MORE:
- Wheaton College Statement Regarding Dr. Larycia Hawkins
- Wheaton College Statement Regarding Christian Engagement with Muslim Neighbors
- Professor Larycia Hawkins’ Facebook page
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